Death of an Undying
by Refia
Summary: Venat thinks about his allies and death. To an Undying, how does it feel to see people you know and care for die? How does an immortal feel about the fate of mortals? Oneshot


**Death of an Undying**

My name is Venat. I am an Occuria, an Undying. I am one of the immortal gods of Ivalice. I shape history together with the others. We shape it as we please, history is ours to write. Or is it? Someday in one of the many fleeting years of my never-ending life, I began to doubt my very own actions… The mortals which history we shape… I asked myself, are we doing the right thing? Do we really have the right to make them do what we please, seated on throne immortal?

When I asked Gerun this, he scolded me. It was ridiculous that I would think of such. Ridiculous that I would doubt our 'right'. Was it really? My doubts grew greater. And in the end I came to the only right conclusion: history belongs to those whose history we write.

The Mortals.

They experience history. They should have the right to shape it. History was theirs. Everything we did with history, affected them, never us on our immortal thrones. The Nethicite we gave Men… I do not remember when in my long life this idea, and these doubts, came into being. However, they didn't leave me anymore… My mind and heart was set. We the Undying had no right to reign history as we pleased.

Then one day there was this man coming to Giruvegan. I could see he was capable and intelligent. I did not really know what brought him to this forgotten place, but I decided the time to act had come. Appearing before this intelligent person, I learned who he was. But, I also taught him things. Vague in the beginning, judging if he was indeed the one that could make my plan reality. But I had been right. This respectable mortal had a great thirst for knowledge and a very capable hand. Which was just what I needed. This person was the first mortal that I… Should I say 'befriended'? Let us keep it at allies. This person was Cidolfus Demen Bunansa.

As my trust in my newfound companion grew, I entrusted him with more and more of my knowledge. I explained everything, about us the Undying, the Nethicite and the reigns of History. Again I was pleased when I noted my trust had not been misplaced. Cidolfus was a very understanding man, and we quickly learned how to share my goal.

"The reins of History back in the hands of Men."

Guiding his capable hand, I taught him the secrets of nethicite. He became fascinated with our research, devoting himself entirely to it, something that I could only admire. I came to realize that this man had, for a mortal, considerable some years behind him. It was my first personal confrontation with the fact that I was immortal and he was not. It made me wonder for a second about death.

But our research required expanding. Though the Draklor Laboratories were good places to work on my version of the nethicite, which I hoped to use in wrenching history from Gerun's grasp, I was in need of real nethicite samples. Not really for myself, but more for my mortal companion, who needed to learn just how powerful a weapon the 'stone of men' could become if we could improve the Occurian stone.

It was then Cidolfus introduced me to a friend of his. A much younger mortal by the name of Vayne Carudas Solidor. I immediately noticed that this mortal was different from my capable companion. Vayne was incredibly ambiguous, even if still not too far in his mortal life. The son of the Empire's Emperor, his power and influence over the military of mortals was what we needed. What I needed to give my companion the sample his eyes and knowledge needed. I knew where we'd have to look. The Midlight Shard was what we needed.

Conquering an entire kingdom for one piece of Undying's rock seems like a large sacrifice, but I had to keep in mind that it was for mortal's best interest. Or did they want to continue being Gerun's pawns? However, soon as the midlight shard was to be ours, one of the Judges of the empire took it in its hands, not knowing what he did. Needless to say, the entire kingdom of Nabudis was wiped out by the power of Gerun's stone. It taught Cidolfus and me a lot. Vayne became interested in our stones; being friends with my companion I could find no reason to keep him away. For this young man was also very capable, if it was on an entirely different field.

Once we Occuria gave the Nethicite to a man who would become known as the Dynast King, the greatest hero in Ivalice's history. But that was by Occurian hand, by history we had written. A true Dynast King would be so by the hand of men, by the stone of men. This role I found fitting for the ambiguous Vayne Solidor.

A fraction of time in my life passed, being years for my companion. The Manufacted Nethicite neared its perfection. But Gerun was not going to let me do as I pleased without putting up a fight. Through a puppet, of course. The Lady Ashe of Dalmasca was to become his new puppet. After the empire had successfully claimed Dalmasca, at the hands of Vayne, the princess longed for revenge for her fallen kingdom. What better bait can one lay for a mortal blinded by hate and sorrow?

Not long after, there was a small accident with the 8th fleet of the Empire. Apparently men still longed to test Gerun's stone and put it to use. Despite Vayne's request to give it to us. And again Gerun's stone showed it's might. Be it for the final time. It was time I showed what the stone of men was capable of.

There had been one volunteer in the empire, a Judge mortal by the name of Bergan. He set his very bones with our stone. He was going to put this newfound power to use soon. I decided to accompany this person and see what he was capable of with the aid of Cidolfus' stone. While the power was great, I saw it still needed a little bit of perfection, for in the end the pressure of the stone's power became to much for mortal Bergan to handle, causing him to violently die. If Cidolfus and Vayne were to use such power, I could not let them undergo the same fate. I didn't really know why. Maybe it was because Bergan's death looked so painful? It was weird. I know mortals die; it's their fate. But this death… It was the first time a person died that I knew, be it that it was very, very little. I didn't know what to think.

Cidolfus worked very hard and fast after Bergan's death. I guided his hand to perfect the stone of men. It was not long after we had done this, the Draklor laboratories were infiltrated by unforeseen guests and foreseen guests. Gerun's puppet had decided to pay us a visit. Cidolfus immediately noticed that she thirsted for the stone. It was my idea to test our newly perfected nethicite, to test Ashelia Dalmasca. Using guns of Nethicite, Cidolfus fought bravely, despite, for a mortal, his age. But in the end he was overpowered. When the destroyer of Nabudis wanted to finish Cidolfus of, I could not stand by. My companion needed my help. Shielding him from the man's sword, I did. Even though he said I shouldn't have, I was glad I did. I don't really know why, but the thought of Cidolfus' death made me feel uneasy.

We made our escape, but not after I advised him to lure them to Giruvegan. It would be interesting to see what Gerun would do, but it would also be a great step towards my final goal to remove history from Gerun's hands: The Sun Cryst. Cidolfus made his return to Vayne to inform him of the completion of the Nethicite. By now, our younger friend had become Emperor for a while. Which was perfect. Vayne by now, knew of my ambitions to make him the true Dynast King, something Bergan had believed in as well.

It was on one evening, while Cidolfus was paying yet another visit to Vayne, which he did almost everyday now, that I noticed. They had taken the bait and Gerun had chosen his scribe. I informed Cidolfus, who told Vayne. The Princess Ashelia had received her treaty-blade. For a moment I noticed a bit of doubt in Vayne, fearing that the Princess might get fresh Nethicite to destroy his plans. Something Cidolfus shoved from the table. Manufacted Nethicite had been perfected, an unrivalled, perfectly controllable power. Unlike Gerun's stones.

For the first time, Cidolfus asked my opinion about him. It surprised me, but I understood his question. Nethicite was perfected, had he done well? It was one of the few times I revealed myself to both of them. And I praised his hard work in six fleeting years. His hand was always very capable, I noticed that from the beginning. The power of men perfected its own new weapon. Men had prevailed over all of Gerun's obstacles, thus claiming the secret and knowledge of nethicite. No longer was it the Undying's property.

It was also one of the few times Cidolfus sighed at the fact of his life being too short compared to mine, never-ending. Vayne agreed. And I couldn't help but do so either. Did Nabudis really have to be demolished? Did Dalmasca really have to be forcefully conquered? Maybe if my mortal companions had had longer lives, it could all have been done differently.

But mankind was not yet free. The Sun Cryst needed to be sundered, a new Dynast King had to come. Indeed would Gerun still put up a fight to keep History's reins in his possession. I offered my prayer for Vayne's ascendance. He would smash everything at the same time: The Occuria's grasp on history and the war that reigned between mortal's kingdoms. For such, Cidolfus and I would go and sunder the Cryst.

The Cryst slumbered on top of a tower on distant shore. Judge Magister Gabranth had gone there under Vayne's orders, following the Princess, but Cidolfus and me had our own business there. I witnessed all events that passed between the Judge and the Princess on top of the Lighthouse, but I could sense Cidolfus was disappointed by Gabranth's actions. It was our time to step in. When the Judge tried to attack my companion like Nabudis' destroyer had attempted, I protected Cidolfus. With the Judge out of the way, it laid before us: shining, shimmering source of Gerun's grasp on history. The Sun Cryst. Glutted with Mist it was. Just what was needed to aid Vayne in his next step. Cidolfus was accused of being my tool, which was downright laughable. We were allies.

The Princess had turned her back to the Cryst not too long ago. A pleasant fact, for now Gerun had lost his puppet. History was now free to be written by men, as soon as the Cryst was gone. For a moment it was thought that we had come to claim the Cryst, but our desires weren't as low. The Mist inside it would still provide to be useful. Using Men's stone, I unleashed that mist. The Mist spilled for, filling the skies and seas of Ivalice, feeding the almighty airship 'the Bahamut'.

Accused of making Nethicite to become a god, Cidolfus was. Which was again, laughable. All we wanted was the reins of history in Men's hands. Calling forth the Nethicite Guns, my companion battled those mortals yet again. And even though the nethicite was powerful, it wasn't enough. But, I had partly foreseen this, and thus we created a special stone. The ultimate fruit of Men's power and knowledge, the stone that called forth the Esper Famfrit to Cidolfus' aid!

But it seemed that Men is strong when confident to achieve something. Even the almighty Esper had to fall under the pressure of battle. How could this be? Not too late after that, I watched in dismay as my companion dropped his guns and fell.

One of them, Cidolfus' very own son, tried to approach his fallen father. But he had just fought him, I did not trust him and blocked his path. But Cidolfus requested me to step aside. Knowing the end had come. He thanked me for these six past years and how he enjoyed them. I felt strange. Not really knowing what to say, what to do. Cidolfus was going to die and I knew it. And I would not be able to stop that. He would soon be gone, just, gone. I would no longer be able to talk to him, speak with him, guide his able hand or give him council. It felt strange. But I didn't know how to handle this weird feeling. I had always known Mortals die. But, I didn't count on this. Even when Bergan died, it wasn't the same. I had known this person, for six fleeting years. Short in my lifespan, long in his. I had known this man and he me. We worked together and shared our goals. And now he was going to die, going to leave me forever. I didn't know what to do, how to handle this. All my voice formed was:

"The Pleasure was all mine."

I let the son pass and disappeared. I could have left immediately, like I had done with Bergan, but found out I couldn't. I felt how Cidolfus' son regretted how it had to end, but I also felt that my dying companion had no need for pity. He was going to die, but seemed to have calmly accepted this. I admired this and wondered, if all mortals feel this way when they know the end is near. I wondered how bad death really was. I wonder what death was. I watched and felt sad. I watched how Cidolfus, my friend, faded away into mist, leaving this realm of living forever, never to come back.

With Cidolfus gone, there was only one person left where I could go. Vayne could perhaps use my aid in the upcoming fight. It was also upon me to bring him news of Cidolfus' death. Slain partly by his own son, a feeling Vayne knew just too well. But Cidolfus had succeeded before his death. The Cryst had been sundered, the Reins of History back in the hands of Men.

The Princess Ashelia and Cidolfus' son with their own companions did infiltrate into the sky fortress, and after some struggle with Judge Gabranth, who apparently had survived the explosion of the tower on distant shore, they confronted Vayne.

Though on his own, Vayne was strong, I was sure that it wouldn't be enough to defeat his opponents. Correct I was. Vayne fell, but it was not yet over. Using his brother, I guided the power of the Manufacted Nethicite slightly. Vayne fully used the nethicite, increasing his power immensely. But unlike Bergan, this power was now stable and controllable. Vayne confronted his foes and Judge Gabranth yet again, claiming Ivalice would soon know a new Dynast King. The true freedom of man was at hand!

However, at the end of the battle Vayne got brutally wounded by a strong assault of Judge Gabranth. The Judge got thrown away and Vayne unleashed all his Sephira on the Judge, only to watch in shock how his own brother stopped them with his piece of Nethicite. Letting his guard down just for too long, the Emperor received yet another deadly stab, throwing him down on the path leading outside. Mortally wounded, Vayne retreated. They wanted to go after him, but I wouldn't allow it and blocked their path. Knowing what I was capable of, they stopped. I was there long enough for Vayne to make it outside.

In the open air, on top of the Bahamut, the Emperor called to me. His words were depressed and saddened, his body in dying pains. And I felt responsible.

"I have failed us both, I am no Dynast King. You must find another, one who might realize… your ambitions."

No Vayne, you haven't failed me. Maybe your own desires, but certainly not mine. I was content with how things were. And told him so.

"They are fulfilled beyond your knowing. The Cryst is sundered. Age of stones complete. From the Undying ones, the world is freed."

Then I stopped and looked upon the dying man before me. I felt responsible, yes. Partly because of me he was now dying. He would soon leave me like Cidolfus did, wouldn't he? The thought alone made me feel bad and cold. If both of them were gone, where would I go in this world? It was unfair that he was dying while I just lived on and on. That I had done nothing to help them both in battle. But I made up my mind. It seemed like Vayne had lost everybody too, like everybody was against him. I knew they all had done this for a good reason, reasons they could understand. But it didn't change the fact that Vayne was dying, and that he was dying lonely. And I thought that if there was any chance that he could survive, I would give it to him. Or if he would die, he wouldn't be alone.

"You shall not tread this path alone. Together we go. Come."

This seemed to give him hope again, even if just a little bit. He straightened himself and walked on and I slowly followed him.

"Won't Cid be eager to learn what has happened here. History begins anew."

Cidolfus… Did he mean by those words, that if we would die, we would be able to reunite with Cidolfus? Do all dead go to the same place? I didn't know, but somehow those words took away some of my own fears. I proceeded with my plan and merged myself with Vayne. I filled his body with Undying's power, which could be harnessed by our combined might. Together, we formed a true Undying: A bond between Mortal and Immortal.

Though the battle was fierce, I knew, and so did Vayne, that our end was near. Even with the power of a God, we could not win. We would go to Cidolfus, wouldn't we? And when the final strike was delivered, we burned in the fire red sky. Vayne trashed and squirmed in pain as our power started to leave us, as the armour I had built up around him started to dissolve. Our body started to burn, to light up with power begging to explode.

So this was death? This is how dying feels? It didn't look the same when Cidolfus died. I guess mortals die on different ways. In our pain, I called out to Vayne, trying to calm him in the fact we were going to die any second now.  
"You are not alone. We'll go, together."  
There was an explosion and then all ended. Vayne had died. But he had not done so alone.

I had died with him.

---

Since we never get to know a lot about Venat or how he thinks, I decided to write this. Oh, it might be far from the truth about that mysterious Occuria, but hey, it's fanfiction. I'm quite pleased with how this one turned out.


End file.
